Todos nostoros
by theramblingfangirl
Summary: "Hiding in a dark, damp cave, while the Crows search for you is not a desirable situation to be in. Especially a dark, damp cave near the self-proclaimed City of Chains. But it helps when you've got things to help motivate you, people to help motivate you, even when they're far, far away."


Never did it get any easier, having to leave his family behind.

No, quite the opposite in fact.

It stung more and more each and every time.

It was inevitable, of course, that such a thing would happen.

After all, both he and his beloved were very busy people who lived very dangerous lives.

And so, here he was, sitting alone in a dark, damp, cave, waiting for Nuncio to come find him…

He let out a long sigh, before removing a piece of paper out of a pouch yet again.

The paper was creased with having been folded over and handled so many times, but the picture, painted with so many bright colours, could still be made out.

Aah, he still remembered the day he was given this art. To most, it might look like scribbles but to him…it was something most precious.

It was the first time he was departing since he and his dear, sweet Warden had taken in their little bird, who'd spent the entire day seemingly ignoring them, focusing on nothing but the paints and paper that they'd bought them from the market.

They'd thought their child mad with them, and had both tried to get them to talk before he went to the docks, but their efforts had proven fruitless.

"Ocupado."

That, was all they would say.

They were truly as stubborn as their parents.

But then, after kissing his beloved goodbye at the docks, they held out something.

"Así que te acuerdas de nosotros." They muttered, before looking down at their feet, shuffling.

 _So you remember us._

"Nunca olvidaré a ninguno de ustedes, mi pequeño pájaro." He took their tiny hand into his and promised this with all the heart that an assassin could possibly have, before hugging his child.

His Warden soon joined in, and the hound also somehow managed to wind up within the pile.

They'd ended up like that for quite a while, his little family that he never thought he'd get to have, never thought he had any right to have but somehow managed to gain anyway.

But eventually, they had to part.

He still had a ship to catch, after all.

And now here he was, again. Looking at the same picture, the same picture which had never once left his possession since he was entrusted with it, in the same sort of situation.

It was better this way, truly, he should not complain.

While his fierce Warden was more than capable of handling a few meager assassins- their first meeting alone being evidence enough of that- they'd both come to the agreement that it was best to keep their child as far from them as possible.

He'd first met his child, after all, when the Crows were using them as a lure, a lure which they would likely have enducted into their ranks had he given them the chance, and there was no doubt in anyone's minds that they would try do so again.

And there was also the fact that the child a mage, and he and his beloved would both die before they went anywhere near any Circle, never mind the one residing in the _city of chains._

He was already putting the Dalish in enough danger as it was hiding this close to them. He would not risk those he held most dear to him too;

 _…But that did not change the fact that he missed them all so terribly._

But in the same manner it was the very fact that he missed them, that helped keep him going in these dire circumstances.

What, with his stomach mawing at him like an angered mabari, the Crows chasing him to a foreign land having gained the uperhand and his hair starting to frizz in the cave's humid temperature. _Dire_.

After all, the sooner he dealt with this Crow business, the sooner he could return home, return to _them_.

A strange little family consisting of a heroic warden, a little mage, a charming crow and a soft war-hound.

He could already see it.

As the family drawing had said:

"Todos nostoros"

 _All of us._

"It will be all of us together soon enough." He promised, speaking alloud even though there was no one else to hear it but himself.

Or, it should have been only him around, but soon enough he was forced to tuck away the picture, for he heard the sound of intruders that he would have to deal with.

As it turned out, the intruders turned out to consist of Isabela, one of his sweet's warden friends and the very Champion of Kirkwall.

But that's a tale to be told another time.

And one that definitely was recited- with only slight embellishments, mind you- as he brimmed with happiness and pride when he finally got to reunite once again, with those he would forever hold most dear to his heart.

All of them, together again.

Just how it should be.


End file.
